2015 Yukon Quest starts today!

It is finally here!
The first of the two "big" races in the great white north starts today in Whitehorse YT, the 2015 Yukon Quest.

We're wishing our friends Brent Sass of Wild & Free Mushing, and Mike Ellis of Team Tsuga Siberians and their teams a great race and good luck.

Our boys Buddy and Silver are ready to cheer on "their" teams!

2012 champ, and participant in our recent "Wild Eyed Tsuga" weekend, Hugh Neff is also at the start, along with many more former Quest and Iditarod champions.

Back-to-back champ, and 2012 runner-up, Allen Moore is first out of the chute today, followed by Brent. This should be an amazing race right from the start.

4-time Quest & 4-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey is back running the Quest, as is '89 champion and 4-time Iditarod winner Jeff King.

For a complete list of competitors, see "Meet the 2015 Mushers"


Coming up a week from today, is the 30th annual Race to the Sky in Montana.

For more information about the race and mushers, check out their website here.

Happy Holidays & New Year 2015!

It's been way too long since we posted here, but the shop kept us busy, which is always a good thing.

In October, we welcomed our friends Brent Sass, Mike Ellis and Hugh Neff to Central Oregon for our "Wild Eyed Tsuga" weekend. 15 teams with almost 200 sled dogs showed up for a camp out and a few days of running, training and talking dogs. Based on the feedback we received, everyone had a great time and is already wondering what next fall will bring. We will have to wait and see.

Here are some of the pictures and a great write-up by Carol Pepsick.

A few additions to our cart program are going to be made public in the beginning of 2015. No entirely new designs, but a couple nice options to round out our current models. Be sure to keep an eye on this blog and our facebook page for pictures and details.

We're also in the final planning stages for a new adventure in early 2015, and another event here in Central Oregon in spring, and will post details here as well, as soon as everything's ready to go.

Thank you all for your support throughout the year and we hope to see many of you out on the trails in the new year!

Arctis is, once again, a proud supporter of North Wapiti Kennels, Wild & Free Mushing and Team Tsuga Siberians through 2015.

Wild Eyed Tsuga Weekend!

After our successful "Wild & Free Weekend" last October, we thought we'd add a couple more mushers to the mix, so this year we'll have Brent Sass of Wild & Free Mushing, Mike Ellis of Team Tsuga Siberians and Hugh Neff of Laughing Eyes Kennel visiting Central Oregon for a weekend.

Come join us the weekend of 10/31 - 11/02 2014 in La Pine, OR. for a few days of running dogs, camping, good food and good company. We're located in Oregon's vast pine forest and our property borders public land with literally 100s of miles of forest trails.

Brent, Mike and Hugh will be available for questions and advice about anything sled dogs as well just a relaxed chat by the campfire. In short: good times! Click here for pictures of last year's event and a nice write-up by Carol Pepsick here (scroll past the white Siberian).

A couple of changes for this year:

- Food for everyone will be taken care of by Cow Camp Cookin' & BBQ of La Pine, OR.
Catering is sponsored by Pawsatch Mushing, UT

- Depending on truck/trailer size, there will be room for about 15 teams this year.

- Trail maps and signs will be available.

As mentioned, we have room for ~ 15 trucks along with camping gear. There are restroom/shower facilities on the property along with a heated space which can be used as a common area, hang-out or sleeping area. There is also a small kitchen with stove, microwave and oven plus two refrigerators. There are several water sources on the property, cell phone/wifi connectivity and a hot tub. In case of wet weather, we can use our workshop to keep out of the rain dry equipment. Last year's weather was upper 10s and low 20s overnight, mid 60s during the day and dry throughout the weekend.

This will be a rain or shine event.
If you have any questions, please contact me by e-mail or call 949-280-7019


Facebook links for:
Wild & Free Mushing
Team Tsuga Siberians
Laughing Eyes Kennel
Pawsatch Mushing
Arctis Carts

Dryland Cart orders for spring, or should it be fall?

It's been way, way too long since our last blog post, but hopefully, you're keeping up with all our activities on our facebook page, too.

Very little snow, especially in the western part of the US, brought us quite a few orders which will keep us easily occupied way into May, and there are more customers "hovering". It may sound crazy at this time of year, but if you're looking for new Arctis Cart for fall training, it may be a good time to get in touch with us right about now.



Our latest batch of orders brought carts all over the US, from Oregon to Minnesota, Alaska to Colorado, and the next batch will stretch from Washington to Vermont and California to Alaska.
Over the winter months, signal colors seemed to be the trend, yellow, orange and red. The next ones to come will be a bit different :-)

We are looking to expand production substantially this year, after moving to our new location one year ago and doing some major upgrades in tools and machinery throughout the year.

Several new developments are in the works to make that happen. One new addition to our cart program is currently being built and will most likely be on the market later this month or early April.

...and just a reminder, that the 2014 Iditarod is in full swing at this moment. Click here for current standings.


Our sponsored teams in the race are Karen Ramstead's "Pretty Sled Dogs" and Mike Ellis' "Tsuga Siberians".
Unfortunately, Brent Sass' team "Wild & Free" had to withdraw, due to Brent's injury he suffered during the recent Yukon Quest.
Please click on the links to visit their pages (and support their teams!).



Speaking of the Yukon Quest, here are a couple of wonderful videos from this year's race:

West Coast Dryland Mushing Events, Fall 2013

Fall dryland season is finally here!
Here are some of the events scheduled in the western US:

Oct 26/27: Pacific Northwest Dryland Championship - Cle Elum WA - More Info
Nov 2:       IDidaRace - Park City UT - More Info
Nov 9/10:  La Pine Mushing Weekend - La Pine OR - More Info
Nov 9/10:  South Park Dryland Challenge - Hartsell CO - More Info
Nov 16/17: Dirt Rondy - Spokane WA - More Info
Nov 16/17: Adventure Unlimited - Buena Vista CO - More Info

We're going to be at two or three of the above listed events.

Speaking of dryland events: our recent "Wild & Free Weekend" was a huge success!
Thanks to Brent Sass for making his way down to the lower 48 and spending some time with us "Americans", as well as all those teams that showed up from near and far to run dogs, talk dogs and just enjoy great food and company. We had 12 teams from 4 states with about 150 dogs show up and explore our local trails. Here are some pictures.

Last, not least: after Brent got back to the real world in Alaska's interior, he hopped right back on his 4-wheel cart to continue his training for this season's upcoming races. So far, all his training miles have been on our carts, not atv's as in previous years. We'll keep our fingers crossed for a successful season!

Fall training season is here!

Summer is finally coming to an end, and training season gets underway.
For us, this means crunch time to get orders finished and carts delivered to our customers. Most of our carts are going to Alaska this fall, with a few more staying close in Washington and Colorado. Thanks again to all our customer who trust our products!

For teams getting ready for this season's long distance races, it means getting the dogs out and everyone back into running mode, figuring out who will make the "A-Team" and then getting that team ready for "showtime".

We're proud to support three teams this season that will take on Iditarod and Yukon Quest in 2014:

Wild & Free Mushing, Eureka, Alaska

Brent Sass has been good friends with us for a few years now and a big believer in Arctis training carts. He has put our 3-wheeler to the test like no one else and was the first to run the all new 4-wheeler.
Wild & Free will go for another Yukon Quest and Iditarod this year!

Please visit their website and facebook page for more about Brent and the team as well as sponsorship opportunities.

North Wapiti Kennels, Perryvale, Alberta

Karen Ramstead was one of the first Iditarod mushers we met many years ago. She came to visit our group in southern California on several occasions, came to our new location in Oregon and also invited us for a few days at her kennel back in 2010. Famous for her "Pretty Curly Tails" all Siberian Husky sled dog team, Karen will run Iditarod in 2014 for the last time.

To support Karen and her team, and for more information about the kennel, including the entire cast of characters, please see their blog and facebook page, as well as their fundraising page.

Team Tsuga Siberians, Fairbanks, Alaska

We met Mike Ellis at the New England Trade Fair a couple of years ago, and he was really interested in the concept of training his team with a cart vs an atv. One of the requirements was, however, that it would be a heavy 4-wheel cart to possibly train a full team. So, this year we finally finished that project and Mike will be one of the first mushers to train with the new cart. He also was kind enough to visit us here in Oregon and give a presentation about his dogs, races and life in Alaska, that got fantastic reviews by all who attended.

Mike and Sue also run an all Siberian Husky team.

Team Tsuga will be back at the Yukon Quest this season, after their rookie Iditarod in 2013.

Please see their website and facebook page for information and yes, plenty of pictures of their beautiful team, that has always room for another sponsor for a bag of kibble. 

Good luck and happy trails to all of "our" teams, our customers and friends and everyone else who shares the same passion for this wonderful sport.

Wild & Free Weekend!

Come join us for a weekend of running dogs, camping, bbq and good company from October 4^th - 6^th in central Oregon.

Why “wild & free”?
Yukon Quest and Iditarod veteran Brent Sass of Wild & FreeMushing will join the fun and is ready to answer your questions and give pointers about raising, training and running dogs, his racing experiences and the wild & free life in Alaska's wilderness.

This will be an informal, free flowing weekend with a small group (~10-12 teams) and there will be plenty of time to run the dogs, get some one-on-one time with Brent, and have a group of like minded folks to share experiences and our love for the sport. Brent will be glad to share his expertise and experiences, and yes, he'll bring plenty of pictures to share, too.

This weekend will be open to anyone interested in running dogs, no matter what size team you have, be it a full team of 16, a “sled pet” and a scooter, or no dogs and are just interested in the experience.

We can accommodate 10-12 trucks/trailers on the property. Final number will depend on the size of each team vehicle. We are located in central Oregon's vast pine forest, near the city of La Pine, and have direct trail access to public land (BLM, National Forest) with literally 100s of miles of forest trails. There is room for tents or campers, plus we have a separate guest space that could be shared by those that prefer more solid surroundings. Guest space also includes bathroom/shower and full kitchen with stove, microwave and fridge. There are several water sources for your dogs, a fire pit as well as a hot tub. We also have decent cell phone reception and wifi, if you need to be connected to the world.

Trails on the property can accommodate teams of all sizes. Large teams with carts and atv have a wide enough trail to access public lands right from the campsite. There's a fun, single track trail system right on the property for small teams with scooters, too.

This will be a rain or shine event. In case of wet conditions, we can dry out gear and equipment in our heated shop. Temperatures at that time of year average between 20s (overnight low) and 50s (daytime high).

All available spaces have been filled. Thanks to all who signed up!

Spots will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

If you have any questions in regards to this event, please contact me at henning@arctis-carts.com or 949-280-7019